


The Tough Years

by magician



Series: Transformations [1]
Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Bingo, Challenge Response, Episode Related, Gen, Sentinel Bingo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-09
Updated: 2018-05-09
Packaged: 2019-05-04 02:46:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14583237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magician/pseuds/magician
Summary: The teen years are tough on everyone--for some, more than others.





	The Tough Years

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the TS Chatzy Concrit discussion: write a piece that focuses on mood or emotions. Refers to events in "Siege", "Flight" and "Four Point Shot". 
> 
> Also written for the 2018 Sentinel Bingo challenge for the prompt "transformations". This is going to be part of a larger story/series of how different characters change as a result of meeting each other.

On the day he first saw Blair Sandburg, Daryl Banks was a good kid, a typical kid.  He enjoyed video games and basketball. School was okay, but he'd rather attend parties and flirt with girls. He loved his parents but was impatient with them; they didn't understand what he was going through, especially with the divorce.

"How can you break up when you loved each other?" he'd asked angrily.  The almost identical versions of "these things happen, but it doesn't change how I feel about you" did nothing to assuage his anger--or his fear.  If they fell out of love with each other, they could stop loving him. He'd have to strike first, strike out.

When he'd showed up at the precinct, he'd been looking forward to spending time with his dad, pissed that Mom was cutting their weekend short. But when he heard Dad tell Detective Ellison that Daryl was "an impossible fourteen", his hackles went up. He'd said something to his dad that he knew was rude and hurtful, but at that point he didn't care.

 

Daryl's heart was still pounding from being held upside down out the window, angry that his dad just stood by and queasy from fear. Kincaid's men brought in another captive--Lieutenant Sandburg. He was sure Kincaid was going to shoot the guy, and maybe the rest of them as well. His gut churned and he moved closer to Captain Taggert, trying to take comfort from his words.

After they'd been rescued and he'd clutched his dad in relief, after he'd watched the paramedics take Captain Taggert to the hospital, after the hours at the precinct being interviewed with all the other hostages, he forgot about the weird-looking cop.

 *****

When Daryl next saw him, Blair was sitting in Major Crime with the other detectives.  It wasn't until they were eating stew with the villagers in Peru that he learned Blair was not a cop, but a professor.

"So, what did you do while you were in Lima last week?" Blair had asked. 

He knew the guy was just trying to distract him from worrying about his dad. He shrugged, "Mostly museums. There was one that showed the ecosystems and how the rain forests are being affected. Another had a lot of pottery and stuff."

"The Larco?"

Yeah. How'd you know?"

"I've been there." Blair sighed. "I could spend a year there, studying all the pieces."

"How'd a cop get so interested in South American artifacts?"

Blair looked at him in surprise.  "I'm not a cop, I'm an anthropologist." His eyes widened in realization. "Oh, I work with Jim and your dad 'cause I'm studying police subcultures."

Then the village was overrun by the drug dealers, and there wasn't any more time to talk. Later, as he was lying awake in the motel room, listening to his dad's snores, his fear of dying just another bad memory, he was impressed that an anthropologist knew how to hot-wire a truck.

 *****

It seemed he only saw Blair during a crisis.  The basketball game was supposed to be fun but started out badly. He was angry and offended that his dad dismissed his wish to become a cop. Then they learned Kincaid escaped and was embarrassed when Dad told Blair he still had nightmares from the precinct siege.  For god's sake that was almost four years ago--if he was going to be a cop he had to be brave.  Then Kincaid showed up and he saw that fear didn't stop Blair.

 

After they'd caught Kincaid and his men, everyone went to the station to give statements. Daryl looked up as Blair walked in carrying big bags from Wonderburger. He left most of them on Jim's desk for the others, but kept a bag and a couple of shakes, looking at Daryl and cocking his head to join him in the break room.

"How'd you do it?" Daryl asked after devouring most of his double-cheeseburger. "I was so scared. And mad."

"Why mad?"

"Mad at Kincaid for almost killing us again, mad at my dad for not stopping him at the stadium. Mad at me for being mad at my dad."

"You know, it's alright to be mad or scared, especially with what you went through. Sometimes it even helps, 'cause it gets that adrenaline flowing.  But you have to keep your head, so you can watch for the opportunity to help yourself out." Blair dragged some fries through a puddle of ketchup and chewed on them thoughtfully. "You might think about talking to someone about those nightmares... and other things."

Daryl felt his cheeks heat with renewed embarrassment, but kept silent.

Blair shrugged. "I've been through therapy and it's helped me a lot.  You can at least think about it." Blair finished the last of his shake, making a sucking noise that broke the mood.  They both laughed.  "You should definitely talk to your dad, though.  He just wants you to be happy and have a good life. Let him know what that means to you."

***** 

Before he met Blair Sandburg, Daryl thought seeing a shrink was uncool--something only wusses did. He thought he needed to stay angry to stay tough, so he could be a brave cop and a strong man.

"Hi, Daryl, come on in," said the woman with the friendly face and voice.

 "Hey, Doc," Daryl greeted, waiting until she sat, then taking the chair next to her.

"What shall we talk about today?" she asked brightly.  "Nightmares? Troubles with your parents?"

"No, things at home are good.  I've been talking to a friend about going away to college; I've got a scholarship to Duke," he said, his chest puffing up a little with pride. "I'm kind of nervous and excited at the same time." She nodded encouragingly. "Anyway, Blair says it will open my eyes to the world, but I also have to keep my eye on my goals. He's a great guy, but sometimes a little confusing, you know?" She nodded again.  "So, maybe we could talk about how to do all that?"

"Okay, let's talk about all that."  

Daryl smiled, feeling his heart unclench for the first time in, like, forever. Life was finally, _finally_ going to go right.

 

~~the end~~

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks go to the TS Chat group, who made this story--and my writing in general--so much better through their helpful and gentle critiques.


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